Grilling is something practically everyone does in the summer time, and my family is no exception.
We grill almost every weekend during the summer months and often try different dishes.
I've done everything from the old standards of steaks and burgers to blackened catfish fillets and even a pork loin on the grill.
Chicken, though, seems to be a family favorite, especially when grilled. Of course, reasons I love it differ from my family. Chicken tends to cook quickly and compared to steak is relatively inexpensive at the grocery store.
Lately, cost has been a major issue for my family and the families of many of my friends.
The cost of food in proportion to rising gas prices has made just grocery shopping a bit painful each week. What fed my family a month ago costs almost a quarter to twice as much now in some cases, so we have been eating more chicken and cheaper cuts of beef lately.
One favorite of my family is boneless skinless chicken breasts marinated in Italian dressing and grilled (this can also be done in the oven or even use the dressing as a marinade for kabobs). It's really quite good and quick, but recently I tried out lemon-grilled chicken.
Lemon chicken is a popular dish at many restaurants and you can even buy chicken breasts already marinated in a lemon flavoring, but I decided to do it the old fashioned way.
This dish is great served with fettuccine Alfredo with a fresh salad on the side.
I have also include a homemade fettuccine Alfredo recipe as well.
Lemon Grilled Chicken
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
teaspoon dried thyme
teaspoon dried marjoram
teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
You can always double the recipe if you need to make more.
Use a peeler to remove strips of zest from half of the lemon, then trim them into fine strips with a small knife and set aside. Grate the other side of the lemon to make 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Finally, squeeze the juice from the lemon into a bowl. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest with juice, oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and spoon the marinade over the chicken until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight if you have time. Preheat your grill per manufacturers directions to achieve medium heat. Put the chicken pieces on the grill. Cook chicken until cooked through about 10 minutes per side. Sprinkle with reserved lemon strips and serve immediately with parsley sprigs for garnish.
Homemade
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 box fettuccine (1 pound)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh basil leaves
Place the butter in a large heatproof bowl. Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer set on low speed, beat until smooth. Add cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well blended; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well and immediately add the hot pasta to the butter mixture in a large bowl. Using two forks, toss the mixture to coat well and add salt and pepper. Divide the pasta between 4 serving plates. Quickly slice the basil into shreds to equal cup and sprinkle shredded basil over each serving.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Tammie McClure can be reached at tammie.mcclure@thecabin.net.)
